I stare at the empty box
Of Mucinex
The drained bottle
Of cough syrup
The crumpled Z-Pak
The depleted inhaler
And I remember
The last three weeks
Lost to a vicious virus
Characterized
By a brain
Dulled by meds
Lungs
Clogged
And tortured
By diminished capacity
And an unrelenting cough
The last of the symptoms
To subside.
As I slowly drift
Into the teen-aged years
Of the twenty-first century
I look back
At the pleasure
I’ve derived
From my recent
Participation
In dVersepoets
And Friday Fictioneers.
I’ve enjoyed
Writing to prompts
Receiving comments
Constructive criticism
And reading
The writings
Of others
In response
To the same stimuli.
Unfortunately
These lost three weeks
Have made me aware
Of the need
To get back to work.
Hopefully
I will be able
To continue
To post pieces
Inspired
By dVerse
And Fictioneers
But they will be
For my own pleasure
As I will not link
To the sites
Until I can return
As an active member.
I thank you all
For allowing me
To get to know you
And wish you
A Happy
Healthy
And Productive
2013.
(Written for dVersepoets and Friday Fictioneers, January 1, 2013.)
So sory to hear you have been so ill Mr. Holmes, I hope you are better and will startr writing again soon. May 2013 be all it can be for you and take care of yourself please, we miss you when your not here.
Thank you for your kind words, Len–I will miss reading everyone’s posts, comments and replies on a regular basis but will try to keep up. Take care and have a Happy, Happy New Year.
Same to you my kind sir. Take the time to heal that is more important than all else
oh i’m glad you recovered from the sickness…and good that there are places on the web that inspire to write…wishing you a good start into work life again and hope to see you in the pub as often as time allows..smiles
Many thanks, Claudia–I hope to continue following dVerse prompts and poets. You and Brian are doing a great job and I enjoy being part of the community. Have a Happy New Year.
aww…i a sorry to hear you will be stepping away a bit…do come around when time allows…glad you are feeling better as well….hope all goes well withe return to work as well…see you soon….
Many thanks, Brian–I’m planning to schedule some fun time in the Pub even though I can’t actively participate. I don’t know how you and Claudia manage to visit everyone’s sites and comment, too. Your efforts are well appreciated. Happy New Year to you.
Sorry to hear you’ve been sick and that you will be taking a time out. But you have to do what you have to do. All the best to you.
Thanks so much for the kind words and I wish you the best as well (and winter void of viruses and the flu!). Happy, Happy New Year.
Best wishes on your other endeavors this coming year 2013! Happy Teenage years
I’ll miss your comments and constructive criticisms, but will soon be back for more. And I send you wishes for Many Happy Teenage Years as well.
Work? Obligations? What??
Seriously, it’s been pleasure getting to know you and your writing and you’ll be (and have been) missed. We’ll miss you jingling our tingles and look forward to that pleasure again in hopefully not too many weeks/months. Give Sammy my love.
Blessings on your 2013,
janet
Many thanks for your kind thoughts, Janet. I’m hoping to keep Sammy on the run by catching up on the three weeks of prompts that I missed and responding to Rochelle’s future pics (I won’t link them to Fictioneers, though, as I can’t be an active participant). Thanks very much for following my blog–I’ve enjoyed following you and Bill and look forward to your future posts. A Happy New Year to you both.
Gatzooks! Say it ain’t so! Get well, heal, find solace and peace, keep writing and all will be as it should. This interlude will be brief, i am thinking, but you will be missed.
Aloha,
Doug
Mahalo nui loa,and Hau’oli Makahiki Hou (if I’ve told you to take a running leap, I apologize and place the blame on bio-beetle.com). Looking forward to rejoining the Fictioneers soon. Take care and Have a Happy, Healthy 2013, Doug.
That must have been a miserable holiday period – hope you recover completely soon.
‘Twas not my favorite holiday season, that’s for sure, and I’ll advise you to avoid all coughing and sneezing friends like the plague–they probably have it. Many thanks for the good wishes and Have a Happy, Healthy New Year, Sandra.
Yo Bro feel better. I’ll tip a drink to your health tonight. I wish the you the best and hope to see you back on here soon.
Tom
And I’ll reciprocate by tossing one back in your honor, Tom. Many thanks for the good wishes and I wish you a Happy New Year.
I am glad to hear that you are on the mend! Health always has to come first or you come in last….
Good advice–I hope this virus has bypassed the ski slopes of Colorado and you continue to have good skiiing. Happy 2013 to you.
Dear VB,
I noticed that you hadn’t been around. I’m so sorry to hear that it’s due to illness. I have to commend you for your clever way of letting us know. Slipping into the teenage years of the twenty-first century. Nice.
Shalom and health,
Rochelle
Many thanks, Rochelle. You’re doing a great job at the helm the the Fictioneers and I look forward to being back in the fold soon–I shall miss the fun. Have a Happy, Healthy New Year.
What the Hell?! You better be back soon.
Sounds like marching orders to me, Ted, and I’ll obey ASAP. Have a wonderful 2013.
Get well soon!
Though I don’t understand what you mean by dull brain. “teenage years of the 21st century” could be the rendition of a mind that’s anything but dull!
Hope to have you back in full earnest next week. Godspeed!
Happy New Year!
Many thanks for your kind wishes, Parul. By a dull brain, I mean fuzzy thinking and the inability to concentrate–in my case, exaggerated by sleep-inducing medicines and a virus that you simply want to sleep through. Have a marvelous 2013.
Come on back and soon! Rest up, but until then I will look forward to your next story.
And I am looking forward to posting soon. I enjoy reading the different responses to the same prompt–will miss them. Happy New Year.
A sign of a born poet that even a “thank you” in is verse. Get better soon and I hope the new year improves swiftly for you.
Many thanks for the very nice compliment. And thanks for the good wishes as well–Have a Happy New Year, David.
Hi V.B.,
Sorry you’ve had a tough three weeks and I’ve missed your amazing stories. Thanks for sharing this and I like the format. Ron
Many, many thanks, Ron–for the compliment about my stories and about my short-sentence format. Most appreciated. Have a Happy, Happy New Year.
Oh, I hope you’re better soon. I’ve missed Sammy the Gat. Rest up, and happy new year to you.
Here’s mine: http://unexpectedpaths.com/indulgences/
Best plans include being able to continue Sammy’s adventures during my break and to find time to read others’ posts–just won’t link or wander through the comments and replies or make comments myself. Happy New Year, Maggie, and good luck with your books.
Hope you’re starting to feel better!
Many thanks for the good wishes–I am on the mend, thank goodness. Have a Happy, Healthy New Year.
and wishes back to you and yours.
Many thanks, Rich–and wishes for a Marvelous New Year to you and your family.
Thanks for following me, Rich, and I look forward to following you and keeping up with your posts.
nothing to thank me for.
be well, and I hope you realize that posting or not, you always belong.
Thanks so much, Bill–I’ll be lurking during my sabbatical and back as soon as possible. Have a great 2013!
thanks, and you do the same.
Sorry you’ve been ill – I know just how you feel (although yours sounds a lot worse than mine!) Hope you feel better soon
Just hope yours doesn’t come back and come back and come back. Wishing you a bang-up 2013 and thanks for visiting.
Hello VBHolmes,
I know it is the 13th of January, but I hope it is not too late to wish you a wonderful New Year. May 2013 bring you more happiness, love, and success. And I hope you recover soon from your illness and be blessed with good health throughout the year. Many blessings and much love to you.
Subhan Zein